increase font size
OPINION: Public pressure has led to Canterbury Police rightly rolling back its proposed restructure that would have seen several rural police stations closed in favour of centralised hubs.
The review, initiated by Canterbury District Commander Superintendant Tony Hill, was a genuine attempt to innovate how they service the needs of communities, including a 24-7 response in rural areas.
And kudos to Hill for correctly reading the mood among the rural community. He accepts that the reality is that the proposal was not acceptable to many of the communities affected, and their buy-in was a critical element in the proposal's success.
Hill decided they could not proceed without that support. He has been praised by Federated Farmers and Rural Women New Zealand for listening to the genuine concerns of local people.
The decision also reflects the strength of rural community feedback and the importance of genuine engagement when decisions directly affect rural safety and wellbeing.
For many farmers, proposed closures of some rural police posts risked undermining the trust, accessibility, and sense of security that come from having a visible local police presence. Removing local stations would risk slower emergency response times, and weaken deterrence against rural crimes such as theft, illegal hunting and trespassing, noted RWNZ.
A lot of rural policing is about relationships that police build with their communities, and centralised hubs seemed out of place.
Federated Farmers helped lead the community response, organising public meetings in Culverden and Leeston, lodging formal submissions, and encouraging hundreds of residents to have their say.
Their message was clear - 'don't cut our cops'. Commander Hill heeded the message.
The Feds says it takes courage to propose bold changes, but it takes real leadership to listen when communities say, 'this isn't right for us'. And farmers appreciate that Commander Hill heard the message loud and clear and acted on it.
Mid Canterbury Federated Farmers arable chair, Bevan Lill, said Beef + Lamb NZ data indicated that for the last six years, the average arable return on investment was about 0.8% while inflation ran about 4% - so the average arable farm was going backwards at about 3% a year.
A warning for New Zealand seed and grain companies – be prepared for an exodus of farmers from the arable sector.
Gareth Hale is the current custodian of a 160-year legacy that saw his great grandfather dairying in Taranaki since the mid-1850s and grandfather dairying in the Waikato from the early 1900s.
The terrible floods that hit the Wairarapa may have subsided, but the danger to farmers still exists, according to local Federated Farmers president Rob Hickson.
A spat within the ranks of the New Zealand Deer Farmers Association has resulted in the suspension of outspoken North Canterbury farmer Barry Cuttance.
Waikato milk processor Tatua has again declared a record milk payout to farmer shareholders, leaving other processors in the dust.
A Labour-led Government won’t be bringing back the controversial freshwater rules of 2020.
National’s much-touted free trade deal with India featured in the Rural Issues Debate at Mystery Creek, Hamilton on Wednesday night.
New Zealand's 2026-27 freshwater fishing season has opened, with anglers encouraged to head to rivers and lakes over the coming days as conditions look favourable across much of the country.
Central Otago District Council (CODC) has voted against a plan to spread treated sewage sludge from Cromwell and Alexandra on farmland near Lauder, a decision Federated Farmers says reflects strong opposition from rural residents.
Pāmu has released its FY26 Integrated Annual Report, reporting a Net Operating Profit of $113 million, more than double the $49 million recorded in FY25.
OPINION: It seems Canterbury processor Synlait is still in the doldrums.
OPINION: Get offside with New Zealand First leader Winston Peters at your own peril.
